Heart Of Hearts
by obsessedwithstabler
Summary: Slowly, she returned to her seat, her hand still on his forehead. She didn't know exactly what she wanted, but right now, that didn't matter. All that mattered was the man in the bed beside her. She could figure out the rest later.
1. Chapter 1

Alright, it's two in the morning, I'm half asleep, and this idea has been tumbling around in my mind ever since I saw the Sex And The City ep, The Domino Effect. Actually, this story was completely inspired by that ep. I absolutely adore Chris Noth (come on, ladies? Am I right?) and I started watching the show just to see him. The ep was amazing, and I had to write a Mike version (in the mothership ep, Deadly Prescriptions, he mentions a family history of heart problems) I have an idea for a second chapter, if I get enough interest sparked in this one. If not, I'll leave it as a oneshot. Anyway, enough of my rambling. Enjoy, and please remember to review!

Disclaimer: Not mine!

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"Okay, what's going on, Mike?" Carolyn asked, staring intently at her partner. They were sitting in the corner booth of a quiet local diner after a long day of work. He had announced sometime during a quiet moment at their desks that he had something important to tell her, and she had spent the rest of the day chewing on that thought. What could it be? Was it good, or bad?

He set the burger that he had been eating back down on his plate, taking a drink of his Coke before he finally met her eyes again. "I'm not going to be coming in for the rest of the week."

She raised an eyebrow. "Why? What's going on?" she asked curiously.

"It's nothing. Really. The doctors... They found a blockage in my heart."

She couldn't contain her soft gasp as the news hit her like a blow to her gut. "What? What kind of blockage?"

He waved a dismissive hand. "Nothing a little surgery won't fix." He smirked at the hamburger on his plate. "But I can kiss these goodbye."

"What kind of surgery?"

"An angioplasty." He took a drink. "No big deal. It's really routine. They do hundreds of them every day." He snapped his fingers. "I'll be in and out like that."

The color drained from her face. How could he joke about something like this? How could he take it so lightly?

He raised an eyebrow at her pale complexion. "Barek? You okay?"

She jumped, startled, when he called her name. Shaking her head, she said quietly, "Are you... I mean... When?"

"Tomorrow. They'll go in and fix the blockage and I'll be back home tomorrow night."

She scoffed, trying to hide her jittery nerves.

He took another bite of his burger. "Don't worry about it, Barek. I'll be back before you know it. Promise."

Somehow she wasn't reassured.

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She didn't know how she did it, but she managed to convince Deakins to let her leave early. She suspected that he knew she was going to check on Mike, and that was why he had let her leave. Now she was standing in front of the door that led into the room the nurse said he was in, and she had never been more afraid in her life.

She took a steadying breath before she gently rapped her knuckles against the door and pushed it open. "Knock knock," she murmured, easing into the room.

A nurse was standing by Mike's bed, checking his vitals, when she heard Carolyn's voice. Raising her head, she gave her a small smile. "Are you family, ma'am?"

Carolyn paused. "No, I'm not. I'm his partner." She sighed. "He doesn't have any family to speak of."

Nurse Taylor raised an eyebrow. "We're limiting visitors to family only until he comes out from under sedation."

Carolyn motioned to herself. "I'm the closest thing to family he has." She flashed her badge. "We're cops."

Her eyes went to her patient, then to the raven haired visitor. "If he has no family, I suppose it's okay for you to stay with him."

Her shoulders sagged slightly with relief. "Thank you."

Taylor nodded, then stood upright. "He should be waking up in an hour or two. I'll be back then."

Carolyn stepped aside to let the nurse get to the door. "Thank you," she repeated, waiting until the door was shut before she finally relaxed.

After taking a few moments to pull herself together, she finally moved to stand beside his bed. His head was tipped to the side, his lips slightly parted as he drew in deep breaths. Wisps of thick hair fell across his forehead, and without realizing what she was doing, she reached out and gently smoothed them back.

She stood there for several minutes, just watching his chest rise and fall with each even breath he drew. When she was sure he wouldn't awaken, she went around the bed and found an empty chair, pulling a book out of her purse as she sat down.

But she quickly realized that she couldn't focus enough to read the book. Her eyes kept drifting up, reassuring herself that he was still breathing.

What the hell was going on?

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Two hours later, Mike's hand went to his chest, and he groaned softly. Forcing his eyes open, he licked his dry lips and stared up at the white ceiling. His chest was aching, but he was alive.

A rustling beside his bed caught his attention, and he turned his head, surprised to see his partner curled up in a cramped hospital chair. A smile tugged at his lips, and he groaned quietly as he turned onto his side, facing her.

When he groaned, she shot upright in the chair as though she had been shocked by a live wire.

He looked at her in amusement. "What's the matter, Barek? Bad dream?" he asked in a hoarse, quiet voice.

She met his tired eyes, and a powerful wave of protection crashed into her. Right then, she wanted nothing more than to gather him into her arms and never let him go. But she settled for reaching out and gently laying her fingertips on his arm. "How do you feel?"

He exhaled deeply, meeting her dark eyes. Mustering all of his strength, he pushed himself upright and said, "I'm alive!"

His sudden outburst startled her, and she glared at him. "Logan!"

He chuckled, returning his head to the pillow. "From the look on your face, I must be dying."

"Shut up," she growled, crossing her arms.

"Relax, sweetheart. I told you I was going to be fine. And I am." He held up two fingers. "Promise."

Her scowl faded, and she let out a heavy sigh. "I know. I just..."

"Was expecting me to be dead?" he offered, receiving another glare.

"No. And now that I know you're going to be okay..." She pushed herself to her feet and grabbed her purse, then proceeded to the door.

"Carolyn?" he called out hesitantly.

She turned around, surprised by his use of her first name. "What, Mike?"

They locked eyes. "Thanks," he finally said quietly.

She stood there for several long moments, lost in his eyes before she could finally form a reply. "Don't worry about it, Mike. It's what I'm here for."

He gave her a heart warming smile, then settled back into the pillows and closed his eyes.

Her hand was on the door handle, but she couldn't bring herself to turn it and walk out. Even though she knew he would be fine, she wanted to be near him. She struggled with herself for several moments before she finally returned to her chair, dropping her purse on the floor.

He struggled to open his eyes. "You don't have to..."

Allowing herself one moment of weakness, she reached out and gently ran the back of her hand along his cheek. "But I want to," she assured him.

He leaned into her gentle touch, sighing deeply as sleep overtook him again.

She continued to stroke his cheek, even after he faded into sleep. The warmth of his skin against her hand was more soothing than she could ever describe, and she didn't want to lose that feeling. But they were partners, nothing more. Her hand stilled. She didn't even know if that was true anymore. Did she want more? Her hand began moving again. She wasn't sure.

He stirred and groaned softly, his eyelids fluttering.

Standing up, she settled her cool hand against his forehead. "Shh, Mike," she whispered, caressing his warm skin. She was surprised when he settled again, his breathing returning to an even and steady pattern.

Slowly, she returned to her seat, her hand still on his forehead. She didn't know exactly what she wanted, but right now, that didn't matter. All that mattered was the man in the bed beside her. She could figure out the rest later.

Sighing softly, she leaned back in the chair. And not for the first, or last, time that day, she said another prayer of thanks that he was still with her.

Because that was what was in her heart of hearts.

The End...?

A/N: So there ya'll have it. I had a good time writing it, and those of you who watch Sex And The City will recognize the concept. I hope I did it justice! Oh, and for those who are interested, I'm working on my first Sex And The City story. (I'm not sure if it's going to be for the show or for the upcoming movie, but I'm working on it. So please check it out) Thanks for reading, and if ya'll want to see more, just hit that purplish little button... Yeah, that's the one. It wants to be your buddy!


	2. The Domino Effect

A lot of people responded to the first chapter of this, so I decided to do a second. But the same thing applies. I could write a third (and probably final) chapter of this, but I need feedback! So enjoy, and please remember to review!

Disclaimer: Not mine!

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Carolyn looked down at her feet as she stood in front of Mike's apartment door. He had been released earlier that day, and she had just gotten off work. Now she was at his apartment, wanting to check on him, even though she knew he was fine.

Inhaling deeply, she finally reached out and knocked on Mike's door. There was a pause, and finally the door opened. She had to fight to keep her draw dropping right there.

He was dressed in a robe and a pair of pajama pants, his hair tousled and his eyes bright. "Barek? What's going on?"

She kicked her brain into gear. "I, uh, just came by..."

"To see if I was dead yet?" he supplied, ignoring her glare. "Nope, still kicking."

She sighed. "Fine. I'll go."

As she turned to walk away, his arm shot out, and his large hand gently closed around her arm. "No, don't go. I'm sorry." He pulled the door open and let her inside, shutting the door behind her.

Carolyn set her bag on the floor before she looked around his apartment. She had only been in there a few times, but she remembered every time.

He looked her up and down, a small smile tugging at his lips. "So... what's up?"

She shrugged. "I just... came by to check on you."

He frowned. "Why?"

"Because you're my partner. I'd hate to have to break in a new one." She smiled. "You were hard enough to break in."

"What can I say?" He eased himself down into his recliner, unable to contain a soft groan. "I'm one of a kind."

She picked up her bag and sat down on the couch.

"What's in the bag?" he asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

She smiled. "Just a few games. Monopoly, Scrabble, a deck of cards, dominos..."

He chuckled. "Dominos? Really?"

She shook a finger at him. "It's safe."

He rubbed his chest unconsciously. "Fine. Go for it."

Shaking her head, she pulled out the box of dominos. Then she sat down on the floor, watching out of the corner of her eye as he eased out of his chair to sit beside her. A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as she set up the first domino.

"So, what have I missed at work?"

She shrugged. "A hell of a lot of paperwork." She gave him a mock glare. "Basically a normal day for me."

He reached over to take a domino, but she smacked his hand away. "Hey..."

"Hey, I'm recovering," he whined.

"Yeah, whatever." She set up a few more dominos.

He watched her as she set up the dominos, her brow furrowed in concentration, and something swept over him. He leaned back against the chair, studying his hands.

She looked up. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing."

Her intense, dark eyes focused on him. "Mike, talk to me."

He sighed heavily. "Carolyn... what am I to you?" he finally asked.

She froze, unable to even breathe. "What... what do you mean, Mike?"

"At the hospital..." He swallowed hard. "Was I just... imagining it?"

She stared down at the dominos in front of them. When she was finally able to speak, she said, "I... don't know... what you are to me."

He dropped his gaze to his lap to hide the hurt in his eyes. Suddenly the room was tilting, and he felt flushed. He cleared his throat and rubbed his chest absently.

Carolyn noticed this, and she frowned. "Mike? Are you okay?"

He moved his hand up to his temple and didn't answer.

Standing up, she moved over to him and knelt down by his side. "Mike?" She laid a soothing hand over his forehead, gasping softly. "Hon, you're burning up..."

His eyes fluttered as he rubbed his temple.

She gently slid her hand into his. "Come on. You need to lay down." Letting him lean against her, she helped him to his feet, then they started toward the bedroom. He was struggling to remain on his feet, but she managed to guide him into his bedroom, then to his bed.

She watched as he settled back against the pillows, his flushed face more apparent than before. Pulling her cell phone out of her pocket, she called the hospital as she watched him with intense worry.

A half hour later, she gently pulled the thermometer out of her partner's mouth. "Yes, Doctor. It's down to..." She looked at the thermometer. "A hundred and one."

He was fighting to keep his eyes open as he watched her talk into the cell phone.

"So I just... keep doing what I'm doing? Okay... Thank you. Yes, thanks." She closed the phone and set it down, then smiled down at Mike. Gently taking the cloth off of his forehead, she laid it on his chest. "Your doctor seems to think that you'll be just fine," she murmured.

He nodded and breathed deeply.

She pressed the cloth against his chest. "Is this still cool?" she whispered.

He nodded. "It feels good..." When she started to pull away, he caught her wrist in his large hand. "You're too good to me, you know that?" he whispered, gently rubbing his thumb against her rapid pulse.

"No. I'm just a good partner."

He slowly released her wrist, but he didn't break their gaze. "You never answered my question, Carolyn."

She chewed on her lower lip. "Mike, I told you..."

"'I don't know' doesn't count." He lifted his head and reached out, gently touching her lips with his calloused thumb. "I want... a real answer."

Picking up the cloth, she set it on the night stand. Then she turned over and looked at Mike again. Several moments passed in tense silence. "Mike..." She reached over and slid her hand into his, then brought it up to her mouth. "We've been through... so much together. And I do love you. You're my best friend. I don't know what I would do without you."

Those words only pressed him further. "I love you too, Carolyn. And if you let me... you won't ever have to find out." As he spoke, he was fighting hard against the sleep that threatened to overwhelm him.

She didn't know if it was really him, or just the fever talking. "I... don't know," was all she could manage.

"Carolyn..." He managed to squeeze her hand. "You know... life is too short... to screw around... and lose the people who mean the most to you."

She knew he was fading, and she gently pressed her fingers to his lips. "I should go..."

He shot his hand out, squeezing her hand. "No. Please?"

Seeing the fear and pain in his eyes, she sighed softly. "Okay. I'll stay." His entire body relaxed, and he nestled his head into the pillow while she reached over and turned the light out.

As she settled her head on the pillow by his, she couldn't help but notice that his eyes never left her face. "Go to sleep, Mike," she murmured, tucking her arm under her head.

He shifted closer as his eyes slid shut, despite that he wanted to stay awake.

She laid there in the dark for an hour after he had fallen asleep, just watching him breathe. What did she want? He had offered her everything, and she couldn't answer that simple question. She didn't want to lose him as a partner. But what if it meant having him in every other aspect of her life? What if it meant coming home from work every day to him? What if it meant marriage, and children?

She closed her eyes, and it surprised her when she realized that she could see dark haired, green eyed little Logans running around. More importantly, it didn't scare her. As she thought about it more and more, the idea delighted her. She wanted his children. She wanted him.

He stirred in his sleep, and she hesitated for a moment before she snuggled closer to him, draping her arm over his waist and holding him to her. Pressing a soft kiss to his warm forehead, she whispered, "I love you, Mike."

And she meant it.

TBC...?

A/N: So, what do ya'll think? I know I so borrowed the concept from Sex And The City, but like I said before, it was too good not to do a Mike version! And I made it as original as possible. I hope I did it justice, and that everyone enjoyed reading it. Please review!


	3. Speak Out, Be Heard

Okay, everyone, this is it. Everyone asked for another chapter, a follow up, and here it is, the final chapter of Heart Of Hearts. Enjoy, and please remember to review!

For Podie1. You didn't have to beg! ;)

Disclaimer: Not mine!

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Carolyn was exhausted as she finally collapsed into bed, sliding between the sheets and pulling the comforter over her weary body. It never ended, it seemed, but she was enjoying it.

The door cracked open, and she smiled as he slid into bed beside her, gently pulling her into his arms. "They're asleep," he whispered, nuzzling her neck.

She turned over, snuggling into the curve of his body. "But they won't stay that way," she replied, glancing over at the crib beside the bed.

"Are you sure we can't lock them in their rooms?" he asked, sliding his hand over her belly.

She smirked. "You know we can't, Logan."

He sighed heavily. "Fine."

She snuggled closer into him, smirking as she yawned and drifted off to sleep.

But four hours later, the door creaked open, and Carolyn knew before she opened her eyes that they weren't alone. Two sets of intense green eyes studied her, and she patted the mattress. "Come on."

Julie and Mikey eagerly scrambled onto the bed, snuggling up to their mommy.

Carolyn draped her arm over her five year old son and three year old daughter, pulling them closer to her and smiling contently.

Mike's arm snaked over her waist, and a soft breath whispered over her neck. "You were right," he whispered, lightly kissing her neck.

"Of course."

He chuckled and nuzzled his face into her neck. There were times when he actually couldn't believe that he had a wife and three beautiful children. But there they were, and he was thankful for all four of them.

She gently rubbed his arm where it rested protectively over her waist. "I love you, Mike."

"Love you too, babe."

_You know life is too short to screw around and lose the people who mean the most to you._

Carolyn closed her dark eyes, hugging her precious children closer. She kissed each of their dark heads, then settled back against her husband again.

She could tell by the pattern of his breathing that he was sleeping again, and so were the children. "I love all of you. So much."

Her little family continued to sleep, and she smiled before joining them.

The End!

A/N: Well, there ya'll have it. I was originally going to leave it like it was, with just the two chapters. But so many wanted a little more, and who am I to argue with fans? LOL. And don't worry. I have another Mike story in the works. Just a little oneshot, but I think people will smile. Please review, and happy reading, bunnies!


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